Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is due to announce funding for more after-school patrols to crack down on youth crime.
Some £60 million will be given to councils in England to pay for police, youth workers and ex-gang members to tackle troublesome youngsters.
The money is part of the Home Office's Youth Crime Action plan, which is aimed at reducing the number of youngsters involved in crime.
The measures are also targeted at the worrying spate of knife crime which saw teenage murders in the capital reach the total for 2007 with three months of 2008 still to come.
The money will also be used for activities for young people and youth offending workers in police stations.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "I know the vast majority of young people are on the right track but there is a minority whose behaviour causes disruption to their communities.
"I want young people to be able to fulfil their potential but that means intervening as soon as possible to prevent offending and to ensure that unacceptable behaviour is tackled effectively."
Earlier this summer an internal briefing by the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) revealed re-offending rates had not significantly changed since 1997.
And figures uncovered by the Conservatives found the number of persistent young offenders (PYOs) in England and Wales has jumped by two-thirds between 1997 and last year.
